:strip_icc()/pic6255304.jpg)
:strip_icc()/pic6255302.jpg)
New game, what dis?
Here's a rundown of how to play:
Quote:
Your goal in Super Mega Lucky Box is to score as many points as possible, and you'll do that mostly by crossing off the nine numbers printed in a 3x3 grid on the cards in front of you.
During each of the four rounds, you shuffle 18 cards (numbered 1-9 twice), then reveal nine of those cards one by one. For each number revealed, you cross off a matching number on one of your cards, with you starting the game by choosing three out of five cards. Each time you complete a row or column, you receive the printed bonus next to it:
• A lightning bolt, which you can spend to raise or lower the number that you're crossing off on a turn; spend three lightning bolts, for example, and you can change a 7 into either a 4 or a 1 (because the numbers "wrap")
• A moon, with the player who has the most moons scoring 6 points at game's end, while the player with the fewest loses 6 points (except in a two-player game)
• A star, with you scoring 1, 4, or 9 points for collecting 1, 2, or 3 stars in a single round
• A number, which you immediately cross off on one of your cards; if doing so completes another row or column, you score that bonus, too!
• A question mark, which allows you to cross off any number.
:strip_icc()/pic6254864.jpg)
At the end of a round, you score points for each card that you've completely marked off, with the points diminishing each round from 15 in round one to 8 in round four. Each player then draws three new cards and keeps one of them.
After four rounds, you score 1 point for each two spaces Xed on unfinished cards, then tally your points from completed cards, stars, and moons to see who has the highest score and wins.
During each of the four rounds, you shuffle 18 cards (numbered 1-9 twice), then reveal nine of those cards one by one. For each number revealed, you cross off a matching number on one of your cards, with you starting the game by choosing three out of five cards. Each time you complete a row or column, you receive the printed bonus next to it:
• A lightning bolt, which you can spend to raise or lower the number that you're crossing off on a turn; spend three lightning bolts, for example, and you can change a 7 into either a 4 or a 1 (because the numbers "wrap")
• A moon, with the player who has the most moons scoring 6 points at game's end, while the player with the fewest loses 6 points (except in a two-player game)
• A star, with you scoring 1, 4, or 9 points for collecting 1, 2, or 3 stars in a single round
• A number, which you immediately cross off on one of your cards; if doing so completes another row or column, you score that bonus, too!
• A question mark, which allows you to cross off any number.
One round down, with neither player completing a card
At the end of a round, you score points for each card that you've completely marked off, with the points diminishing each round from 15 in round one to 8 in round four. Each player then draws three new cards and keeps one of them.
After four rounds, you score 1 point for each two spaces Xed on unfinished cards, then tally your points from completed cards, stars, and moons to see who has the highest score and wins.
:strip_icc()/pic6255303.jpg)
My holdings and score after round #2
Super Mega Lucky Box plays out like a mainstream-friendly combination of Ganz schön clever and Man muss auch gönnen können, a.k.a. Divvy Dice. You receive a bonus when you fill a row or column, but the bonuses don't combo in the pinbally way that they do in Ganz schön clever. A moon, star, or lightning bolt does nothing for you on that turn, but you might gain a number that completes a row or column (or possibly both!) that gives you a number or question mark that completes something else. The system is more linear and streamlined compared to the multi-dimensional bonuses of GSC.
The layout of the cards is less varied than in Divvy Dice, which gives you consistent targets, with the numbers 1-2-3, 4-5-6, and 7-8-9 appearing on each card zero, one, or two times in some combination. You choose three out of five cards to start, and you choose a one card of three at the end of the first three rounds, so you can try to balance the numbers present, maximize your star-scoring potential, shoot for moons, or aim for more lightning bolts, which will allow you to manipulate the card results and have fewer whiffs.
My wife completed three cards in round #4, but fell short thanks to my moon bonus
Each round you will see a particular digit zero, one, or two times thanks to the randomness of the deck, so "lucky" isn't in the game's title by chance. In the solo game I played, for example, I needed a 3, 4, or 5 among the final three cards of the deck (thanks to the one lightning bolt I held) to complete a row+column and get another bonus that would let me complete the other empty space on that card, giving me two stars in the process. It didn't happen, whether I should curse my luck or curse my lack of lightning bolt management is debatable.
In general, the rules overhead is far lower in Super Mega Lucky Box than in GSC or Divvy Dice, with players being able to jump into the game with the barest of instructions: "Choose three cards that have a wide variety of numbers." From that point, you can flip the first number card, then jump into play: "Mark off one of those numbers on a card you have." With the second card revealed you introduce another element of the game: "You can spend one of your four starting lightning bolts to raise or lower the revealed number by one. You want to complete rows and columns to get bonuses." Reveal the third card, then explain the bonuses. Zoom — you're on your way!
:strip_icc()/pic6253876.png)
:strip_icc()/pic6253113.jpg)
:strip_icc()/pic181225.jpg)
:strip_icc()/pic6201568.jpg)
:strip_icc()/pic6161801.jpg)
